Hello.
It's very late. Kanchana left for Australia last Thursday. That was sad.
Phil leaves Ghana (for the US, because he is American) at 6am tomorrow (this) morning. That will be sad. At the moment, however, he is wandering around upstairs packing and making a ruckuss.
I think he should go to bed.
On a further note, once Phil leaves, I am the last of the people on the tour who will still be in Ghana (apart from Jane who organises the tour and will be travelling soon anyway). In a way, my work begins tomorrow - I have no more white people to slack off with and hide behind.
We'll see how that goes.
I have more to say and will write something tomorrow (perhaps). I know what I want to write - I thought of something really deep and meaningful and thought 'Oh, that will be nice to blog about and really let the peoplez know how I feel'.
I am sizzling it up now so you will be excited when it comes later.
Ok. Tired. Goodnight.
Phil should REALLY go to bed now.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
A post for today.
Hello. Just a quick 'I'm alive' kind of post.
Last few days have been fairly quiet - my stomach has been poopy until today, meaning not much sleep or venturing too far from a toilet. Yesterday afternoon we went to Theofo's place and had some food and got some music. That was nice.
Kusun have just started rehearsing outside now, so I have to go play.
I'm feeling a fair bit better today - I tell you because I know you care.
Cheers.
Last few days have been fairly quiet - my stomach has been poopy until today, meaning not much sleep or venturing too far from a toilet. Yesterday afternoon we went to Theofo's place and had some food and got some music. That was nice.
Kusun have just started rehearsing outside now, so I have to go play.
I'm feeling a fair bit better today - I tell you because I know you care.
Cheers.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Rani Püse.
I am sitting here with a sore stomach. I care about you so much that I am still writing this post.
Not a lot has happened the last couple of days. Kusun have started rehearsing, so I've been hanging around with them (except for today because I am so sick and even though I'm sick I'm still writing this post because I care so much). Yesterday, after rehearsal, Kanchana, Phil, Okule, Jane, Theofo and I went to the Arts Centre market to look at stuff. The Arts Centre market works like this: everyone says 'hello my friend', grabs your arm, drags you to their stall and tries to sell you trinkets so they can feed their families. Awesome. While there, I ate cow intestine cooked on the side of the road. Perhaps this is why I am sick.
We also went walking around Accra. Nothing to report. Everything was under control. I had noodles for dinner. Perhaps you have something to tell me?
Stories?
Ok.
- End Token Post -
Not a lot has happened the last couple of days. Kusun have started rehearsing, so I've been hanging around with them (except for today because I am so sick and even though I'm sick I'm still writing this post because I care so much). Yesterday, after rehearsal, Kanchana, Phil, Okule, Jane, Theofo and I went to the Arts Centre market to look at stuff. The Arts Centre market works like this: everyone says 'hello my friend', grabs your arm, drags you to their stall and tries to sell you trinkets so they can feed their families. Awesome. While there, I ate cow intestine cooked on the side of the road. Perhaps this is why I am sick.
We also went walking around Accra. Nothing to report. Everything was under control. I had noodles for dinner. Perhaps you have something to tell me?
Stories?
Ok.
- End Token Post -
Monday, September 22, 2008
You missed me. (Alternative title: Tupac Lives)
Well hello there.
It has been a while, I know. For that, I once again offer you my sincerest apologies. What this means, however, is that I actually have STORIES. Or, at the very least, vague and bland descriptions of things that happened. So, let's start broad, then get more specific, shall we?
What happened in the last week.
By Jacob.
Just after my last post, we performed our white juju for Ghanaians at the Accra Arts Centre as the finale of the study tour. The next day we had a big concluding-the-tour-what-do-we-do-I-don't-know-maybe-we-will-throw-a-big party. On the Sunday, a select few of us were present at a Fetish religious ceremony where goats and chickens were killed and eaten. Then people went home to Australia. On the following Tuesday Kanchana (the Sri Lankan 7/8 drumming master), Phil (the philthy American) and I went on a 4-day trip around parts of Ghana. Yesterday (Saturday), we went to an incredibly-poorly-organised-but-still-fantastic music festival in Accra. Today, we had no electricity all day and I ate some more goat.
And then I wrote this.
SO, yeah.
Let's go through that again.
The performance:
I was wonderful. A DVD was made. Maybe you will be allowed to see some of it. I danced and was funny while still being awesome. I was amazing.
The party:
Nothing to say about this really. All the people on the tour put together a heap of money and then we organised a heap of food and a heap of drinks and then we just had a whole heap o' fun. So, yeah. White people are awesome.
The Fetish ceremony:
This was amazing. I have lots of footage. The basic schedule of events began with some ceremonial business involving singing and small percussion (bells and shakers). Next, we (Ray, Colin, Bryan, Kanchana, Fumina and I) were blessed and presented to the spirits with some libation and drinking of gin. Then, two chickens and a goat were killed and lay around and died for a while. Then the animals were cut up, prepared and cooked. We stayed around and watched the butchering, but went off to a local spot to kill some time while the food was being cooked. After an hour or so, we went back and watched the guys drumming. While drumming our friend and teacher Teofo (a Fetish man and the focus of the ceremony) went into a trance and started spinning. And kept spinning. And spinning. And spinning.
Keep in mind that this isn't something that is easily describable - if you want, when I get back I might show you the video.
Anyway, the day ended with us eating the animals and I got blood on me.
Delicious.
Our trip
Well. We went on a trip
(See the map? See it??).
Our trip began as a trip to Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region in central Ghana. However, we got to Kumasi at about 10.30 at night and had no idea where we were or where we were going. It was great. We ended up staying in a seedy hotel (which was actually great).
After waking up and not knowing what to do in Kumasi, we spent hours looking for an ancient sword lodged in the ground - removal of the sword means the fall of the Ashanti kingdom (sort of like King Arthur, but different) and all sorts of other bad stuff. Nevertheless, people (including Muhammed Ali, apparently) have been trying to pull it out for years. In the book we read and in our minds, the sword seemed a wonderful tourist attraction. In reality however, the sword is in the courtyard of a hospital, took ages to find and is possibly the worst tourist attraction ever.
But don't worry, I have it all on video.
And, really, the sword was just a means by which to explore and experience Kumasi, not an all-important end. Sometimes life is all about the journey, yeah?
Well, this was how we rationalised wasting a day in the freaking sun in Kumasi looking for a stupid sword.
But it was fun really. No, really, it was fun.
After Kumasi, we travelled to Nkawkaw and then up into the hills to Mpraeso. We stayed the night in Mpraeso and met a taxi driver named Tupac.
Yeah. Tupac.
Mpraeso was beautiful - the 20-minute drive there from Nkawkaw was basically winding up into mountains covered in rainforests. Additionally, the town itself was peaceful and obviously not particularly a tourist location (actually, most of Ghana is like that - not touristy at all. But that's for another post another time). We spent the night in Mpraeso (and had hot showers - the first in 5 weeks).
The next day, we met up with our new friend Tupac and he drove us to Odawso on the edge of lake Volta. We paid a guy in a canoe to ferry us over the lake (there is a ferry on this side, but we had just missed it and the next one didn't leave for hours, apparently) and landed in Ekyie. From there, we took a tro-tro (a small, un-roadworthy bus crammed with Africans) across the Afram plains. Apparently, since the creation of Lake Volta, these plains have become cut off from the world and (more) impoverished - if you look at the map, you can see why - the only way to really access them is to cross over the lake, which is not particularly easy.
After a fairly uneventful and bumpy ride, we came to the other side of the plains, back to the lake. From this point, we caught a larger canoe (the ferry on this side didn't work any more - it was spoilt) and made the trip to Kpando. On the way however, the boat we were in made a detour.
We pulled up to a swampy area with some cattle grazing. After a couple of puzzled looks, the three of us realised that we weren't making some sort of drop off but rather were picking up three cows. That was an interesting revelation. I will provide some pictures one day, but for now, the method of getting cows into this canoe involved four Ghanaians, a plank of wood, a heave and some leverage, and then a cow on its back in the boat. We then had three cows in the boat for the remainder of our hour-long journey across Lake Volta (Lake Volta is massive, by the way. And man-made. Go MAN!).
From there on in, the trip was fairly uneventful (and it's late and I'm very tired right now). We spent our last night in Ho (the capital of the Volta region and a lovely place, despite the name). After waking up and engaging in a bit of hanging around, we headed to the Akosombo dam (at the bottom of Lake Volta) for a look-see, got wet in the rain, then went home.
Then we went to Tip Top Chinese restaurant in Accra for dinner. Rerry Dericious.
I am tired now. Kusun start rehearsing at 9am tomorrow and I will be sitting in with them. As such, I am going to have to be awake to keep up. Thus, I will have to tell you about the festival later.
Isn't reason wonderful?
So, thank you for reading. I will post again soon.
Or will I?
Yeah, I will. So read it. And comment. And ask questions. And look at some more photos.
Sorry for the rambling.
Ok Bye.
It has been a while, I know. For that, I once again offer you my sincerest apologies. What this means, however, is that I actually have STORIES. Or, at the very least, vague and bland descriptions of things that happened. So, let's start broad, then get more specific, shall we?
By Jacob.
Just after my last post, we performed our white juju for Ghanaians at the Accra Arts Centre as the finale of the study tour. The next day we had a big concluding-the-tour-what-do-we-do-I-don't-know-maybe-we-will-throw-a-big party. On the Sunday, a select few of us were present at a Fetish religious ceremony where goats and chickens were killed and eaten. Then people went home to Australia. On the following Tuesday Kanchana (the Sri Lankan 7/8 drumming master), Phil (the philthy American) and I went on a 4-day trip around parts of Ghana. Yesterday (Saturday), we went to an incredibly-poorly-organised-but-still-fantastic music festival in Accra. Today, we had no electricity all day and I ate some more goat.
And then I wrote this.
SO, yeah.
Let's go through that again.
The performance:
I was wonderful. A DVD was made. Maybe you will be allowed to see some of it. I danced and was funny while still being awesome. I was amazing.
The party:
Nothing to say about this really. All the people on the tour put together a heap of money and then we organised a heap of food and a heap of drinks and then we just had a whole heap o' fun. So, yeah. White people are awesome.
The Fetish ceremony:
This was amazing. I have lots of footage. The basic schedule of events began with some ceremonial business involving singing and small percussion (bells and shakers). Next, we (Ray, Colin, Bryan, Kanchana, Fumina and I) were blessed and presented to the spirits with some libation and drinking of gin. Then, two chickens and a goat were killed and lay around and died for a while. Then the animals were cut up, prepared and cooked. We stayed around and watched the butchering, but went off to a local spot to kill some time while the food was being cooked. After an hour or so, we went back and watched the guys drumming. While drumming our friend and teacher Teofo (a Fetish man and the focus of the ceremony) went into a trance and started spinning. And kept spinning. And spinning. And spinning.
Keep in mind that this isn't something that is easily describable - if you want, when I get back I might show you the video.
Anyway, the day ended with us eating the animals and I got blood on me.
Delicious.
Our trip
Well. We went on a trip
(See the map? See it??).
Our trip began as a trip to Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region in central Ghana. However, we got to Kumasi at about 10.30 at night and had no idea where we were or where we were going. It was great. We ended up staying in a seedy hotel (which was actually great).
After waking up and not knowing what to do in Kumasi, we spent hours looking for an ancient sword lodged in the ground - removal of the sword means the fall of the Ashanti kingdom (sort of like King Arthur, but different) and all sorts of other bad stuff. Nevertheless, people (including Muhammed Ali, apparently) have been trying to pull it out for years. In the book we read and in our minds, the sword seemed a wonderful tourist attraction. In reality however, the sword is in the courtyard of a hospital, took ages to find and is possibly the worst tourist attraction ever.
But don't worry, I have it all on video.
And, really, the sword was just a means by which to explore and experience Kumasi, not an all-important end. Sometimes life is all about the journey, yeah?
Well, this was how we rationalised wasting a day in the freaking sun in Kumasi looking for a stupid sword.
But it was fun really. No, really, it was fun.
After Kumasi, we travelled to Nkawkaw and then up into the hills to Mpraeso. We stayed the night in Mpraeso and met a taxi driver named Tupac.
Yeah. Tupac.
Mpraeso was beautiful - the 20-minute drive there from Nkawkaw was basically winding up into mountains covered in rainforests. Additionally, the town itself was peaceful and obviously not particularly a tourist location (actually, most of Ghana is like that - not touristy at all. But that's for another post another time). We spent the night in Mpraeso (and had hot showers - the first in 5 weeks).
The next day, we met up with our new friend Tupac and he drove us to Odawso on the edge of lake Volta. We paid a guy in a canoe to ferry us over the lake (there is a ferry on this side, but we had just missed it and the next one didn't leave for hours, apparently) and landed in Ekyie. From there, we took a tro-tro (a small, un-roadworthy bus crammed with Africans) across the Afram plains. Apparently, since the creation of Lake Volta, these plains have become cut off from the world and (more) impoverished - if you look at the map, you can see why - the only way to really access them is to cross over the lake, which is not particularly easy.
After a fairly uneventful and bumpy ride, we came to the other side of the plains, back to the lake. From this point, we caught a larger canoe (the ferry on this side didn't work any more - it was spoilt) and made the trip to Kpando. On the way however, the boat we were in made a detour.
We pulled up to a swampy area with some cattle grazing. After a couple of puzzled looks, the three of us realised that we weren't making some sort of drop off but rather were picking up three cows. That was an interesting revelation. I will provide some pictures one day, but for now, the method of getting cows into this canoe involved four Ghanaians, a plank of wood, a heave and some leverage, and then a cow on its back in the boat. We then had three cows in the boat for the remainder of our hour-long journey across Lake Volta (Lake Volta is massive, by the way. And man-made. Go MAN!).
From there on in, the trip was fairly uneventful (and it's late and I'm very tired right now). We spent our last night in Ho (the capital of the Volta region and a lovely place, despite the name). After waking up and engaging in a bit of hanging around, we headed to the Akosombo dam (at the bottom of Lake Volta) for a look-see, got wet in the rain, then went home.
Then we went to Tip Top Chinese restaurant in Accra for dinner. Rerry Dericious.
I am tired now. Kusun start rehearsing at 9am tomorrow and I will be sitting in with them. As such, I am going to have to be awake to keep up. Thus, I will have to tell you about the festival later.
Isn't reason wonderful?
So, thank you for reading. I will post again soon.
Or will I?
Yeah, I will. So read it. And comment. And ask questions. And look at some more photos.
Sorry for the rambling.
Ok Bye.
Friday, September 12, 2008
One more before we play...
Hello.
It's Friday and the last day of classes for the study tour.
We (19 Whities) are performing for the masses at the Arts Centre in Accra. I say we but, really, I mean ME.
It's all about me.
Anyway, I thought I'd just say hello and let you know that we are going to get laughed at a lot. I am doing a small bit of dancing and lots of drumming. That should split some Ghanaian sides.
Also, just so you know, there will most likely be a DVD made of this coming performance. So, when I get back, if you are well-behaved, I may show it to you. If I know you. If possible, I may even upload some, but that is not looking like a particularly possible plan. So.. yeah...
I will break some legs.
Bye.
It's Friday and the last day of classes for the study tour.
We (19 Whities) are performing for the masses at the Arts Centre in Accra. I say we but, really, I mean ME.
It's all about me.
Anyway, I thought I'd just say hello and let you know that we are going to get laughed at a lot. I am doing a small bit of dancing and lots of drumming. That should split some Ghanaian sides.
Also, just so you know, there will most likely be a DVD made of this coming performance. So, when I get back, if you are well-behaved, I may show it to you. If I know you. If possible, I may even upload some, but that is not looking like a particularly possible plan. So.. yeah...
I will break some legs.
Bye.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
I was a day late, but it's ok.
As we say here in Ghana, bonjour.
Oti is here looking over my shoulder, so I can't write anything really interesting. He is a small boy on the trip with his mother. He broke his arm running away from a dog.
Now you know Oti. Say hi for me if you see him.
Yesterday we did some stuff. More drumming and dancing. I am fabulous. I am dancing. I am fabulous dancing.
Jane is looking over my shoulder now.
We are doing a performance on Friday night. I am still having trouble uploading video, so I dunno about that.
Simon's here now. I must look really interesting. All these people keep coming and watching me.
U no it.
I am now typing with my eyes closed because Oti told me to.
This post is going nowhere. I intended to make up for my lack of posting yesterday, but it's not working. I offer you my humblest apologies.
At least you know I'm still alive and as entertaining as ever.
Don't miss me too much....
Actually, it's ok to miss me. We're all only human.
Salute.
Oti is here looking over my shoulder, so I can't write anything really interesting. He is a small boy on the trip with his mother. He broke his arm running away from a dog.
Now you know Oti. Say hi for me if you see him.
Yesterday we did some stuff. More drumming and dancing. I am fabulous. I am dancing. I am fabulous dancing.
Jane is looking over my shoulder now.
We are doing a performance on Friday night. I am still having trouble uploading video, so I dunno about that.
Simon's here now. I must look really interesting. All these people keep coming and watching me.
U no it.
I am now typing with my eyes closed because Oti told me to.
This post is going nowhere. I intended to make up for my lack of posting yesterday, but it's not working. I offer you my humblest apologies.
At least you know I'm still alive and as entertaining as ever.
Don't miss me too much....
Actually, it's ok to miss me. We're all only human.
Salute.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Today was another day. By Jacob.
Yo.
Today was a different day from yesterday. Today we waited around, then did some recording with Tachie. He played these freaky breaks while we (Ray, Bryan and me) recorded him so we can learn them later. I played bell. It made me want to cry because it was hard and I am a wussy. If I can, I'll upload a bit of video of it so you can appreciate how freaky it is.
Word.
For the last couple of days I have been trying to upload a video of a performance I recorded - with this internet connection it takes about 2 hours to upload. However, what happens is that it uploads for nearly two hours, then the connection drops out. It's fully awesome. I will keep trying, but it is HARD.
So there.
After our drumming session, Tettey (the guy here who's in charge) took us (Ray, Jane, Eve, Bryan and Me - everyone else had travelled to Cape Coast, like I told you yesterday. Geez! Don't you listen to anything I say?) to his place for dinner. It was some special meal that they only have once a year that he was saving to celebrate with us. It was nice. 10 years of Kusun study tours and all that.
Then I came home.
When I got home everyone had got back from Cape Coast and it was busy and loud. So I went to my room and watched South Park episodes (Imaginationland, Guitar Queer-O, The List and, at the moment, Stanley's Cup) and wrote/am writing this.
Self-referential, hey?
In case you haven't noticed, this is now TWO DAYS in a row where I have made informative blog posts. You should all be very happy. You are lucky.
I will continue to write each day if I can. Rejoice.
Hope all is well where you are.
Violence is bad.
By Jacob
Today was a different day from yesterday. Today we waited around, then did some recording with Tachie. He played these freaky breaks while we (Ray, Bryan and me) recorded him so we can learn them later. I played bell. It made me want to cry because it was hard and I am a wussy. If I can, I'll upload a bit of video of it so you can appreciate how freaky it is.
Word.
For the last couple of days I have been trying to upload a video of a performance I recorded - with this internet connection it takes about 2 hours to upload. However, what happens is that it uploads for nearly two hours, then the connection drops out. It's fully awesome. I will keep trying, but it is HARD.
So there.
After our drumming session, Tettey (the guy here who's in charge) took us (Ray, Jane, Eve, Bryan and Me - everyone else had travelled to Cape Coast, like I told you yesterday. Geez! Don't you listen to anything I say?) to his place for dinner. It was some special meal that they only have once a year that he was saving to celebrate with us. It was nice. 10 years of Kusun study tours and all that.
Then I came home.
When I got home everyone had got back from Cape Coast and it was busy and loud. So I went to my room and watched South Park episodes (Imaginationland, Guitar Queer-O, The List and, at the moment, Stanley's Cup) and wrote/am writing this.
Self-referential, hey?
In case you haven't noticed, this is now TWO DAYS in a row where I have made informative blog posts. You should all be very happy. You are lucky.
I will continue to write each day if I can. Rejoice.
Hope all is well where you are.
Violence is bad.
By Jacob
Saturday, September 6, 2008
What I did today. By Jacob.
Hello.
Today I got up at 11.30 and copped shit for being lazy. They don't seem to understand my need to rest on the Sabbath.
It was quite hot today. And quiet - nearly all of our group have travelled to Cape Coast for the weekend. I am too cool to go.
After my daily cold shower and bucket-powered laundering, Tiafo, Ray, Bryan and I enjoyed some delicious peanut soup with beef and rice balls. We then went to a festival in Teshie (10 mins in a Tro-Tro (bus) East of Nungua, where we live) and wandered around, trying not to be pushed into the open sewers while locals ran around the streets in the hot hot sun sun. Then we walked home along the beach. The beach was filthy - turds and plastic bags aplenty. Yum.
After we got back, we sat around the centre (where we live) and bullshitted for a few hours and then I wrote this. Later we'll go and rustle up some food somewhere. Maybe a cat.
That was my day. I will try to upload some video of some drumming performances - if I get it done I'll let you know.
In case you were wondering (and of course you were) this post is the beginning of me forcing myself to get into the habit of posting wonderful, informative information. Maybe every day I'll try to at least let you know what I got up to, even though I don't like doing it.
See how much I care about you?
You should totally comment and stuff to let me know you also care.
Radwicked.
Today I got up at 11.30 and copped shit for being lazy. They don't seem to understand my need to rest on the Sabbath.
It was quite hot today. And quiet - nearly all of our group have travelled to Cape Coast for the weekend. I am too cool to go.
After my daily cold shower and bucket-powered laundering, Tiafo, Ray, Bryan and I enjoyed some delicious peanut soup with beef and rice balls. We then went to a festival in Teshie (10 mins in a Tro-Tro (bus) East of Nungua, where we live) and wandered around, trying not to be pushed into the open sewers while locals ran around the streets in the hot hot sun sun. Then we walked home along the beach. The beach was filthy - turds and plastic bags aplenty. Yum.
After we got back, we sat around the centre (where we live) and bullshitted for a few hours and then I wrote this. Later we'll go and rustle up some food somewhere. Maybe a cat.
That was my day. I will try to upload some video of some drumming performances - if I get it done I'll let you know.
In case you were wondering (and of course you were) this post is the beginning of me forcing myself to get into the habit of posting wonderful, informative information. Maybe every day I'll try to at least let you know what I got up to, even though I don't like doing it.
See how much I care about you?
You should totally comment and stuff to let me know you also care.
Radwicked.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Photos are here!
Hello Excited Person.
I have finally put up some photos of my room and where I'm staying. I haven't actually taken any others... I suppose I'll get around to it one day.
When you're older.
To see all the photos you have to click on the link below - it was a lot easier to use iWeb to upload my photos than do them one by one on this blog. I'll update the photo page when I have new things or if I can be bothered uploading video. When I do, I'll let you know here.
Cheers.
Here is a SNEAK PEEK:
My Room
Click here to go to the photos
I have finally put up some photos of my room and where I'm staying. I haven't actually taken any others... I suppose I'll get around to it one day.
When you're older.
To see all the photos you have to click on the link below - it was a lot easier to use iWeb to upload my photos than do them one by one on this blog. I'll update the photo page when I have new things or if I can be bothered uploading video. When I do, I'll let you know here.
Cheers.
Here is a SNEAK PEEK:
Click here to go to the photos
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