Today was a nice day. By Jacob, of course.

Hello.

Today was a nice day (as is suggested by this post's title).

The morning was not as planned - Kusun were supposed to rehearse here at the house but, for some reason or other, there was no rehearsal. Although not unpleasant this wasn't the bit that made it a nice day, that bit is coming.

So, instead of rehearsing, I went through some video, looked over and notated what I had done in yesterday's lesson with Mr Lokko, read a bit and generally busy-bodied myself around the house. At about 2.00 I had another lesson with Mr Lokko and at 4.00 went to Afotey's rehearsal.

This rehearsal didn't really happen either - it was a meeting about the death of one of the group members (a dancer) the day before. They were speaking in Ga and I didn't realise this until afterwards. I don't know how he died. In case you weren't sure, this is not the nice bit.

While I was there, before the group meeting, I spoke with Mr Afotey and arranged to attend all of his group's rehearsals (Monday, Wednesday and Fridays at 4.00 - see you there!) and have individual lessons (at the same time) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This means that I will be sitting in on Kusun's rehearsals every day from 9-12, having a lesson from 1-2 (realistically, the rehearsal won't finish until about 1 and my lesson time will be very subject to change), then another lesson somewhere between 2 and 4 and, finally, a lesson or rehearsal with Afotey from 4-6 (or 4-5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays). I will be busy. This realisation is part of what made today a nice day. I feel like the wheels are finally starting to turn and I am going to stupidly push myself towards a mental breakdown. For some reason this makes me happy. This is the first bit of the niceness.

Another thing that makes me happy is three dinners. This happened tonight quite accidentally (and has actually made me feel a little sick). First, I went down the street to get some fried rice (for a change), then Jane came home with some Nando's-esque chicken burger, then Otu called me and invited me to his house. I didn't realise this invitation was for dinner - even when I said I'd eaten it was insisted that I join them. Hoorah. Three dinners = happiness.

The other lovely thing about Otu's place was the children. I played with Otu's kids (not all his kids - the whole extended family lives together) for a long time and it was totally enjoyable. In fact, tonight visiting Otu I felt as comfortable as I ever have anywhere.

The difficulty here, now with this blog, which I was thinking about as I walked home, is remembering, expressing and capturing how I have felt today (It was bugging me - even as I walked home I could feel my mood changing and my thoughts of how I could express why I was happy disappearing. Bastards). It has been a simple day; nothing that happened was particularly meant to happen or expected, yet it was thoroughly enjoyable. I found, while laughing with kids calling me Mr Jacob and trying to teach me games in a language I don't understand, I was totally happy, comfortable and enjoying myself. Also, just wandering with Otu and his brothers (actual brothers, not just homies) talking to people I don't know (but apparently have met before) and generally hanging around was great.

Additionally and extra-ly, you may know, I am generally not a guy to socialise for 'no reason'. Most of the time, anyway. Tonight, in fact, my main motivation for going out in the first place was because I was invited and felt obliged. I'm glad I did.

Since I'm in the mood, I think now is the time for me to indulge in the epiphany I referred to last week (and, consequently, sizzled until burnt). Basically it referred to how I felt before coming to Ghana this year. While still at home, I was thinking of how, the first time I came to Ghana (9 years ago - 13 years old), I felt instantly comfortable and was amazed at how things worked. Coming from my childhood; receiving a large dose of tall-poppy syndrome as a kid, it was refreshing -- liberating -- to hear children's interactions and descriptions of themselves. If someone was a good drummer, they and everyone else had no problems saying so. If someone was smart or thick, the same attitude applied. Basically, false modesty and bullying born out of jealousy of natural talents existed to a much lesser degree than Australia, it seemed to me. Largely due to this, alongside an overwhelming friendliness, I felt completely at home in Ghana. Now, while still at home in Melbourne, after coming back from Ghana 9 years ago, completing secondary school and 4 years of tertiary studies (with all the normal bullshit that 'refines' and confines people's thinking according to their society), I was worried that I would have changed too much -- become too white, middle class and pseudo-intellectual -- that I wouldn't be able to tap back into what I experienced when I was 13. If that doesn't make sense, ask me and I will try to explain it again more eloquently. For now, it will do: I was worred that I would have become too much of a western, head-up-my-arse dickhead to let go and relax again in Ghana.

I am happy to report that the outcome of my 'epiphany' (It's more just a simple realisation than an epiphany but I like the word), was that I realised that, to an extent I am happy with, I can relax and be comfortable here. This is handy. Actually, all my troubles with personalities, anxiety and loneliness/exclusion/not-fitting-in-ness have been related to whities, not Ghanaians. So far. (There are lots of reasons for this, let's not go into it.)

Of course, for those of you playing along at home, this does not mean that I am no longer too much of a white, middle-class, pseudo-intellectual, head-up-my-arse dickhead. Don't worry, I am the very same that you know and, most importantly, love. The nice thing is that it hasn't gotten in the way (or at least is so effective that it can fool me into thinking that I'm relaxed and coping when I'm not) of enjoying myself here.

Phewf. That was a long one.

Before finishing, I would like to add that there is a lot more to be learned (and that I did learn) from travelling to Ghana than this one tiny aspect I referred to above (the honesty/modetsy thing). Consequently, it has shaped my life in way that has kept me, even just slightly, aware that how things are at home is not how things are everywhere else. In some places, lots of things are a lot shitter. However, for some reason, while not having decent drinking water, healthcare, housing, and on and on, there are some things that Ghana seems to have much more 'right' than we do. I won't go into it now because of time, laziness and lack of forethought -- it's very hard to discuss these sort of differences without making sweeping generalisations and value judgements and I don't want to do so without working out what it is I have to say. This issue, however, is constantly in my thoughts (alongside boom-boom-tiddly-boom-boom-bap). Maybe, if you want to think about it and ask me, I will discuss it with you. Aren't I awesome?

Thanks very much for reading.

I bet it made you fuzzy inside.

Awww.

Shut up.