My Favorite Adinkra Symbols

Sankofa - "Reach back and get it"

symbol of learning from the past and looking to your roots

Ananse Ntontan - "spider's web"

symbol of wisdom, creativity and the complexities of life
Ananse, the spider, is a well-known character in African folktales.

Bi Nka Bi - "No one should bite the other"

symbol of peace and harmony This symbol cautions against provocation and strife. The image is based on two fish biting each other tails.

 Akofena - "sword of war " 

 symbol of courage, valor, and heroism The crossed swords were a popular motif in the heraldic shields of many former Akan states. In addition to recognizing courage and valor, the swords can represent legitimate state authority. 

 Nyansapo "wisdom knot" 

Symbol of wisdom, ingenuity, intelligence and patience

 An especially revered symbol of the Akan, this symbol conveys the idea that "a wise person has the capacity to choose the best means to attain a goal. Being wise implies broad knowledge, learning and experience, and the ability to apply such faculties to practical ends."

Nyame Dua  - "tree of god"

 symbol of God's presence and protection

The Nyame Dua is a sacred spot where rituals are performed. Erected in front of the house or compound, it is crafted from a tree that has been cut where three or more branches come together. This stake holds an earthenware vessell filled with water and herbs or other symbolic materials for purification and blessing rituals.

Foods I Miss

Kumasi

I know it's already Wednesday but this is the first time I've had to sit down and actually write a good blog post.

Last weekend we went to Kumasi, Ghana's second largest city and the cultural and craft center of the country. I didn't get a lot of photos because one, there weren't many opportunities to take amazing photos and two, I was too busy buying things.


Day 1 

We went to a relatively upscale craft market near our hotel. Although there was still bargaining involved (which I'm happy to say I've vastly improved at) it wasn't as aggressive as the markets we've been to in Accra. In Accra, it isn't uncommon to be pulled by the arm into a vendor's stall or get followed around until you finally agree to visit their shop. The vendors in Kumasi were insistent on us buying something and I could hear the all too familiar "I give you good price" and "free looking" but we were allowed to leave without making a purchase.

I bought a lot of gifts at the market that day and when we returned the next, so I'll have to separate what I bought for myself before I post pictures of my purchases.

We also visited the Manhyia (pronounced Manshia) Palace where two former Ashanti kings lived. Although Ghana has a democratic government with elections like the United States, they still have a ruling king and a system of chiefs and sub-chiefs that hold power in the country and act as local government.

Not my picture

The palace was built in 1925 and served as the king's residence until 1974 when King Opoku Ware II built a new palace close to the old one. Manhyia Palace was converted into a museum in 1995.

Day 2 

Today was a shopping day for sure. None of the pictures in this section are mine either because I didn't want the hassle of taking my camera everywhere while I was trying to shop and I'm paranoid that something was going to happen to it. You'll see why in a minute.

First we stopped at a Kente Village. Kente is a traditional Ashanti fabric that's created by sewing strips of patterned woven cloth together to create larger pieces.

I bought two strips, one for my sister and one for me, and about two yards of single-weave for myself (there are three types of weaves - single, double and triple - and the more intricate, the more expensive). I bargained so hard over those two yards and ended up getting it for 42 cedis ($13.50) which I was pretty happy with considering the guy started at 70 to 80 cedis. 

After the Kente Village, we went to check out a place where they made adinkra stamped fabrics. Adrinka symbols all carry different meanings and I'm planning to upload a post with some of my favorites tomorrow. 

This is the place where I refused to take my camera, not because of shopping, but because of the hassle:

This is Kumasi Central Market, the second largest open-air market in Africa. See how busy those sidewalks are? Every alley between those tin roofs is like that. Our Ghanaian guide, Sonny, took most of us through the markets while the rest shopped for fabrics. The amount of people was overwhelming and so many of them wanted to talk to us, know our names and see how much Twi we could speak, but I have to say it was a really cool experience.

Day 3

Besides the six hour trip home, the only thing we did was go for a boat ride on Lake Bosomtwe, which was a nice change of pace from the busy markets. 

This one is actually mine 

And yes, I went swimming in it.

Nurses Protest Over Allowances and I Just Kind of Tag Along

Earlier this week I was finally allowed out of the newsroom to cover a demonstration.

Long story short: Nursing students in Ghana are supposed to be paid allowances by the government while they're in school to help cover the cost of school fees, books, food, etc. but the governments hasn't paid up in about two years. The demonstration met at Circle, a pretty big transportation and market center in Accra, and from there walked a few miles (or at least it felt like that far) down to a large field where they presented their petition to the Deputy Minister of Health.

As required, the demonstration was escorted by police officers, but there was nothing violent about the protest at all. As one of the nurses told me, "We are angry, but that doesn't mean we can't have a good time."

As an American, it seemed more like a parade than a protest, at least on the way to where they were planning to present to petition. After they arrived there and the Deputy Minister started talking, it turned into more of what Americans would expect of a demonstration for payment from the government.

Still, there was no violence. Neither police officer nor protestor was pushed, hit, bit, or anything like that. Instead, people were laughing and joking around with each other in between chanting and booing the Deputy Minister (the Minster was supposed to show up herself but sent the Deputy Minister in her place).

One of the things I loved the most about this protest were the many allusions to one of the biggest controversies in Ghana right now, including the one in the picture to the left.

The Ghanaian government just went through with a loan from the World Bank to improve schools. Doesn't seem like something that should cause anyone to get heated, right? Wrong, because part of the loan would go towards providing sanitary pads for young girls in schools.

In a country where talking about women's.... issues.... is a taboo and poverty is high, many people think it's a misuse of public funds, a humiliation of women, sexist towards men ("What do the boys get?"), to name a few responses.

The nurses' point was that the government was willing to pay for sanitary pads but not pay their nursing students, which in my opinion, is pretty valid.

Beyond the experience of the demonstration, I also got the chance to hang out and really talk with one of my coworkers, Ruben. We discussed everything from religion to sports as we made our way to the field and while we were eating lunch, he told me that he, "never had a white friend like this before."

Ruben and I "working"

I've found that my views are very different from my coworkers on, well, most things, but I don't feel ridiculed or excluded because of it. It's a really great work environment, even if it gets a little crazy sometimes.

Internet crashes and my busy work schedule have made it really hard to keep up with my blog, but expect another post after our weekend trip to Kumasi!

Checking in

I know I haven't updated my blog in a while but that's because the vacation part of the trip is over and I've finally gotten into a steady routine that, although stable, isn't very exciting.

I've been working for Today for about a week now and although I've been swamped with things to do (editing stories, choosing the World News stories and even writing a few of my own), I haven't been out in the field yet and I find that a bit discouraging. I think I will have a lot more opportunities in the future to do some really cool things here though because the design person here saw a few of my samples and liked them.

Just a brief update, I promise more later!

I got my first article published!

Here is the unedited version of my article on my experiences in Ghana (I'm not retyping the whole thing just to include the changes my editor made, sorry).





"I am a daughter, an older sister and a soon-to-be wife, a student, a journalist, a mentor. I am a cat lover, a sports fan, and as of last week, I am an obroni.

Before I can talk about my first week in Ghana, though, it is important for me to explain where I’m from. I grew up in New York in the United States with my mother, father, and two younger siblings. We lived in an upper middle class neighborhood. My father worked and my mother stayed at home to take care of us until we were all in school, then she worked in a school as a primary school teacher. When I was 14, my father decided to start his own business so we moved across the country to the beautiful state of Oregon, where I now attend college at the University of Oregon as a journalism major.

Already I have seen much in Ghana that is very different than how I grew up and where I live now. The thing about Ghanaians that I am most impressed with is their kindness. When one of my friends and I got sick one of my first days here, our bus driver drove us to the pharmacy, made sure we had everything we needed, then walked us across the street and helped us buy bananas before taking us home. He went out of his way to help us without expecting anything in return, and I was very surprised and grateful for that.

Again at Reggae Night at Labadi Beach our group was welcomed with so much kindness and openness that would not have happened where I’m from. We were invited to dance and made a part of the fun even though it was clear that we outsiders. My community at home is known for being very close and friendly, but it doesn’t compare to what I’ve experienced in Ghana from complete strangers. When you’re walking down the street at home, it is not uncommon to make your journey without talking to a single person. It is almost overwhelming here the about of attention I receive here but at least so far it has all been smiles and waves and polite hello’s.

When someone in the United States is different, it often means that they are excluded. It seems to be the opposite here. When my housemates and I went to Cape Coast the past weekend, we visited El Mina Castle and four of us decided to walk onto the beach to check out the fishing boats. For a few minutes, we watched a group of men work to pull a huge wooden boat onto the shore until the men at the end of the boat beckoned us over. They told us to join in so my friends lined up along the side of the boat with the Ghanaians and lifted the boats with their backs, everyone laughing the whole time, while I took photos. I tried helping to pull the ropes at the other end of the boat after that, although I’m not very big so I don’t think I was much help at all. I never would have expected to be so openly accepted by them and I’m glad I got the opportunity to be a part of their day.

We were told before we got to Ghana that some people would try to befriend us because we are obronis and we have money, but that has only happened a few times. Overwhelmingly, the kindness we have been shown has been genuine and we have met some really good people during our stay so far.

One of the things that has been hardest for me to get used to here is the idea of bargaining because in the United States, whatever price the seller gives you is the price you pay. There are a few markets where bargaining is acceptable, but even in those places most people don’t bargain because it’s uncomfortable for us. At first I felt rude asking for a lower price when I was bargaining for my Black Star jersey, as if I was insulting the vendor. I bargained a little and ended up paying 25 cedis, a price I was happy with considering I would have probably paid the equivalent of 100 cedis or more in the United States for the same jersey. My friend thought he got a great deal on a Ghanaian flag which he bought for 30 cedis until he found our our Ghanaian bus driver bought the same flag for 15 cedis. I know that I have gotten “ripped off” more than a few times since I’ve been here which is frustrating because bargaining is a skill I want to get good at, but I always have in the back of my mind how much I would have paid in the United States for the same object so most of the time I don’t mind paying a few extra cedis to make a deal.

It is not hard to understand then, based on what I said about my attitude on bargaining, why Ghanaians perceive us as wealthy because we are from the United States. In Ghana, we have a lot of purchasing power because our dollar goes much farther here than in the United States. For example, if I was in the United States and I had $5, I would only be able to buy enough bottles of water for my two siblings and myself, and they would be only three-fourths of a liter. In Ghana, I would be able to buy twice as many bottles of water with twice as much water. So when Americans come to Ghana, we are relatively wealthy compared to those around us, even if we aren’t wealthy at home.

This is why I find it funny when Ghanaians ask me to take them back to America with me. When we got there, they would find that I’m not living in a fancy house, just a small apartment in an old apartment complex. I don’t have a car and the clothes that I wear are bought on sale from less expensive stores. I am in debt thousands of dollars because of tuition, which is about 10,500 dollars a year now, and paying for rent. It makes me laugh when people think I’m rich because it is only for the short time that I’m here.

Even still, being in Ghana one week has taught me that there are things I can be happy living without. I miss air conditioning and hot showers, but those are things I’ve learned to live without like many Ghanaians do. I thought things would be bad when our house lost electricity and we couldn’t access the internet, but it ended up being one my favorite nights in the house because we got to know each other and played games and interacted. One of my friends even put on a ten minute Michael Jackson routine for us. At school, it wasn’t uncommon for me to have coffee everyday or even twice a day, but I haven’t had a cup of coffee since I’ve been in Ghana and I’m fine with it. The only things I miss badly besides my family are my kitten and the variety of food in my hometown.

One of our day trips was to Anani Memorial International School. To get to the school, we had to venture through the streets and alleyways of Nima where I saw people who have much less than I do at home, but were happier than I was. At home I am always worried about money, how I will afford things like my wedding, finding more work, what I need to do to get a job in the competitive journalism field. I was not happy with where I was in life and I think that is the case for many Americans. That is not to say I never had moments of joy, because there were many, or that the people in Nima never feel pain or sadness, because I’m sure they face hardships just as we all do. But you could see in their smiles and the way they interacted with each other that they do not spend their days dwelling on worries and the things they don’t have and choose instead to enjoy their lives. I think Americans could learn a lot about being happy from Ghanaians.

I have not been here long so I cannot pretend to know everything about Ghanaian culture, but I speak from what I have experienced so far. I very much look forward to learning more about this beautiful country and the people who live here in my next few weeks in Ghana."

More Cape Coast Photos

Skull and cross bones above the "Condemned Cell" where slaves who were sentenced to death would be kept with no food or water until they died ~ Elmina Castle

View from Cape Coast Castle

Pulling the fishing boat ashore ~ Elmina

In between lifts ~ Elmina

Agama Lizard ~ Cape Coast Castle

Just some adorable friends we made ~ Elmina

Me on the canopy walk at Kakum National Park

Photo Credit: Chris Chavez

Canopy Walk at Kakum National Park

The Obroni in the Newsroom

9:30 - I arrive at my internship at Today Newspaper this morning, walked in by Leslie and Chris like they were my parents dropping me off at my first day of kindergarten. My boss is in a meeting when I arrived, so I'm told to just wait. I sit next to the only other obroni in the newsroom, a girl from Germany, and exchange a few words with her, then sit in silence. The three younger Ghanains guys seem completely unphased at my presence, talking in Twi among themselves about soccer and the iPhone 5.

10:40 - I'm still waiting to meet my boss. Only one person has said hello to me, an somewhat older man in a nice good. He looked at me, did a double take and said hello and asked how I was. Other than that, it's like I'm not even here.

10:47 - I have a short conversation with a guy who I assume will be one of my coworkers. After our short exchange, it returns to silence on my end.

10:59 - I am assured I will meet with my boss by the man who welcomed me in with Leslie. To continue the kindergarten analogy, I feel like I'm in the principal's office.

11:08 - Leslie said we would need two things today when dealing with our internships: patience and initiative. I've been patient but I'm wondering if this would be the time to switch over to initiative.

12:43 - I tried the whole initiative thing and it worked! I've spend the past hour and a half or so writing on my experience in Ghana to be published and talking to my coworkers.

3:30ish - My coworker walks with me to the nearest tro-tro station and says that he will get me home today and Wednesday, but after that he's not going to treat me like a baby and I'll have to get home on my own. The tro-tro is hot and crowded, but it's much cheaper than a taxi and overall not that bad. My coworker and I chit chat until we reach my junction, and we both get off and walk home.

Weekend in Cape Coast

I can honestly say this weekend was one of the best I’ve ever experienced. The trip to Cape Coast started out a bit rocky when our bus blew out a tire, leaving us stranded on the side of the road but we made the best of it by having a sing-a-long and playing Frisbee across the street with a local boy who just happened to be walking by. In my “real life” back in Oregon, getting stuck on the side of the road with no food and warm water for two hours would have ruined my day, but although I got a little grumpy (sorry Andrew!), I didn’t let the situation get the best of me. That’s definitely something I’m going to continue to work on.

The wait was more than worth it once we got to the resort.

This place was the epitome of paradise – warm temperatures, nice pool, beautiful beach, delicious food – and it almost didn’t feel real. You could walk up to the bar and order a fresh coconut, just picked from the tree, and the bartender would chop the top off and hand it to you to drink from. Like, what?

We did so much this weekend from having a bonfire on the beach to touring two former slave castles to walking through the rainforest canopy on suspension bridges, but the best things were the little moments like watching leg wraastling on the beach and getting high fives and waves from the little kids.

Alexa, Azia, Casey and I decided to go for a walk down the beach to check out the fishing boats and came across a group of Ghanaian men pulling a gigantic fishing boat onto the shore. After a while, one of the guys beckoned us over for us to take pictures. Then Azia asked if we could help and they let us! I was the photographer for the group until we went to the other side of the boat where the four of us helped (or “helped”) pull the ropes.

It was also really cool to watch people overcome their fears this weekend. For me, the canopy walk wasn’t scary at all, despite the fact that we were over 100 feet off the ground at some points. I was expecting to get anxious but I guess I don’t have a fear of heights. For some people though, it was terrifying but no one turned back after the first bridge and everyone chose the path that took us across seven bridges.

After the canopy walk, we went to a crocodile sanctuary where we all had the opportunity to touch an adult croc, an opportunity I did not take. Most people were at least a little freaked out, but for Monse, putting her hand on the crocodile meant facing her biggest fear. She did it though, and it was incredible and inspiring to watch.