videooo

The Zongo brothers separating their rice harvest- grains fall, husks fly away. I tried to help (not pictured.) I hope the sound works- that was my favorite part. The metal shovel going into the pile, scchinckk, and the rice being thrown into the air, flwhoosh!

I think I have reverted to being a five year old.



** okay, working on it. **
Hey, just kidding, I didn't do anything to fix it but apparently it works if you're on an internet connection that actually functions!

evening ride home

we've got weather

THIS is how cold it was here in January. Pants, sweater, fleecy hoodie, scarf, every morning. I would often try to find creative ways to wrap the scarf around my head. And biking to school at 6:30am was even worse. It was FREEZING, sometimes as low as 68 degrees!! Ridiculous. And I loved it.

Now, it is hot. It is hot already. It started in January, and for the past week and a half it's been around a hundred degrees in my house every day. Hot season is supposed to start in March. This is unconscionable.

only a little lame

I was trying to think of other anecdotes or interesting things to share, and was mentally complaining to myself that I've done so very little lately. This past Sunday in particular, I felt very boring because I stayed at my house the entire day grading math tests. But as the day progressed, I realized just how many visitors I get. I was visited by M Seagda, who came to talk about the ambulance repair grant, two of my girls' club girls, who dropped off a book they borrowed and asked for help on a presentation, M Drabo, my pseudo-dad, Leopold, the painter who's going to paint two of my rooms (seafoam green and yellow- ridiculous, yes) Marie, a neighbor girl/friend who came to do physics exercises, and my favorite vegetable lady, Pauline, who stumbled on my courtyard while looking for a different house. All unannounced, all before 3pm.

So even on days when I feel completely lame and isolated and never leave my courtyard, I still have visits from friends, neighbors, coworkers, all sorts of people. It's quite nice now that I'm used to it, and I'm sure I'll miss it when I go back to America.

sage advice

Il ne faut pas devancer l'iguane dans l'eau

Don't go into the water before the iguana

My favorite proverb so far. Folks here have tons of 'em, for all occasions. This one means “don't put the cart before the horse” (which they also say (but in french)) but sounds far cooler. It comes from when you're, you know, trying to catch an iguana, because if it falls into the water it'll stay there without moving and you can catch it. But if you go in first, it won't follow you in and you'll never be able to get it. Just something to keep in mind next time you go iguana hunting.

go internet go

Hooray!! Finally. Pictures!

Fishing boats in Dix Cove
Sunrise on the beach

Old colonial buildings

Cape Coast Castle
Yaayy Ghana!