Where I come from...Battor, Volta Region, Ghana

Greetings all,

I believe I promised a food edition of my blog but that will have to come later because I had a fantastic weekend that I want to tell you about!

For a few weeks now I have known that my family would be making a trip to Battor, my host-dad's village for a funeral this weekend. However, they failed to mention that instead of a funeral it was a celebration of the 10th anniversary of our grandmother's death. It was an extra big deal because she was the Queen Mother of the village (basically the mayor of a town kind of deal). All week the people in our sewing center were busy sewing our entire family clothes in a matching fabric for the occasion. Friday, I decided against going to the beach in order to stay home and help prepare for the celebration..it was a great choice. I found out shortly that two of my parents' sons came to visit us from the U.S. for the event. They are awesome!

Friday afternoon Charlie (my host-dad), my sister Sisto, and one of the brothers left for Battor. At dinner the brother that stayed home told me that he was impressed that I am so hands on (basically because I helped cook and take out the trash haha). He said that he and his brother agreed that I fit in perfectly with the family thanks to my eagerness to help (everyone together now.. "awww").

Saturday, Jessalyn, Paige, Anil, Erica, and I went to watch my brother Remi play rugby against the University of Ghana team. It was really hot out and none of us really knew anything about rugby but it was fun nonetheless. By the end of the game we sort of figured it out unfortunately Remi's team lost.. The whole experience, just like any other in Ghana was interesting because 1. there were A LOT of oburonis on Remi's team. 2. One of them, a slightly inebriated Brit, came up to talk to us and brought up randomnly how his undershorts he wears for rugby aren't very clean because he told the house boy not to worry about it..he then asked us what our plans were for the evening... 3. the University of Ghana's rugby coach first tried to convince us to join the women's rugby team and then tried convincing us to give him our numbers... thank goodness for Remi, I just told the guys that Remi usually takes us out so they should ask him if they want to see us again haha Here's a pic of Remi playing:

Remi in an action shot

Saturday afternoon I hung out with the twins who are staying with us-Bernice and Benedicta and Remi. Everyone else in the house had left for Battor already so it was just us and Rachel for most of the day until Auntie Kosh came and one of my brothers and Chairman returned from Battor. I took some Benadryl because I thought I was having an allergic reaction to something..turns out Auntie Kosh thinks it is just heat rash too late because the Benadryl knocked me out for an hour and then I just woke up long enough to eat dinner before going to bed at 9pm...

Sunday was the big day! We planned to leave at 6:30am, 7 at the latest so of course we left at 7:30. I was supposed to ride on the bus but my brother told me I should ride in the car with him and Chairman, Rachel, and two of the kids. As someone who gets motion sickness so easily I didn't mind giving up a seat on the bus for a spacious SUV backseat. We were able to drive most of the way to Battor on the nicest road in Ghana...it actually didn't have ANY potholes! There were even toll booths to pay for it! We were stopped at the police barrier because our car wasn't registered so Chairman had to pay one of the police officers to let us keep going.

We finally got to Battor and I couldn't believe it. Our house in Battor is even bigger than our house in East Legon!! The contrast between our house and the thatch roof houses across the street was amazing.When we arrived at our house everyone was screaming to welcome me, it was like they hadn't seen me in years! I got a tour of the house from Rachel and then went to join the women who were cooking outside. I helped cut plantains and provided some general comic relief for everyone who was around..the white girl it cooking?? Then I went to church with pretty much the entire family. I sat in back with Yaya, Chairman, Remi, etc. It was neat to see the sea of people in our family wearing the same pattern. I noticed a lot of police standing around and asked about them and was told it was because my dad's house often hosts dignitaries. Halfway through mass I noticed that they kept talking about the Vice President...lo and behold the security detail pulls up clears a path into the church and the Vice President just walks into our mass!! Eventually he gave a campaign speech of course and some other chiefs (including one of my uncles) and dignitaries...including my dad were introduced! It was awesome! Here's a pic of the VP talking at church:

No big deal, the Vice President of Ghana just visits my dad and  his family village for our party...

Yaya said we needed to leave church a bit earlier because they needed help at home. So we went to our house where the food was being prepared and began taking it over to our Auntie's house. I carried the Kelewele or fried plantains on my head which amused everyone, I'm pretty sure that comments like (look at that white girl!) were being flown around. Luckily, I knew how ridiculous it looked. When we got to our Auntie's house I was surprised by how big of an even this was. We had at least four tents with tables and chairs under them, a band, a huge tent for the food, many coolers for drinks, and an all around party atmosphere. I found my place in the buffet serving line ironically serving white rice. This was one of the many things that surprised so many people, especially the older ladies who have never been served by a white person before. Luckily, I have a lot of experience serving from my volunteering for the rodeo's bbq chicken dinner haha

Ironically-the white girl served the white rice..

After serving people for awhile including the Vice President's entire security force and the VP (of course he didn't come through line and he only ate rice and chicken which convinces me that he's not actually Ghanaian...we had four soups, stews, three kinds of rice, chicken, tilapia, crabs, etc and he chose rice and chicken?!?! how western of him!). I was able to eat a nice combo of random things that were left but unfortunately there wasn't very much of my favorite soup left. My Auntie Mary pulled me out to dance and I mad Remi come with..it was hilarious being the only white person...I definitely draw attention to our family. Then I tried pulling one of my brothers out there but it was unsuccessful. I helped out a bit more and then my host-mom pulled me out to dance with her...once again, quite entertaining. Two of my brothers who live in America were visiting and we had a good conversation about how impressed everyone was with my hands on approach to the family. I'm not sure what they expected me to be doing while everyone else worked...I can't just sit their and watch and look like everyone should do work for me. I wouldn't do that at home and I would never think of doing it at my second home here. It's also a lot more fun to get involved because that is when those little moments that make you fall in love with your family happen.

We started cleaning up the food and taking it back to our house and by the time we got back most of the guests were gone. We ended up going to another house which actually belonged to my grandmother, the Queen Mother, where we did plenty more dancing. I was actually dancing in front of the chiefs and elders...unfortunately that meant that the amount of people who knew how to work a camera were in short supply..but here's a pic of others dancing.

After the dancing, Rachel and Sitso took me to the statues of the Queen Mother and her mother. Here is a picture of one of them.

Statue of the Queen Mother whose death we were celebrating.

We went back to our house to pack up everything and then loaded up the cars and were on our way back to East Legon. On the way I couldn't stop looking out the window at the beautiful sunset and landscapes. I just kept thinking over and over about how much I love this place and these people. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

Siril and I at the party

My host-mom, Auntie Grace and I

A few of my sisters and I (Rachel, Sisto, Yaya, and Gifty) please note how we're all wearing the same fabric but non of our dresses look exactly the same.

My sister Gifty, brother Remi, and I waiting to leave for Battor.

Bernice and Benedicta, a set of twins who are staying at our house right now-they are hilarious.

The view out the car window on our way home from Battor...absolutely beautiful.