Yay for a Photo Blog!

So in two weeks I will be back on U.S. soil. This trip is coming to a close and I finally was able to get some pictures on my flash drive to show you all. Enjoy!!!

These are my homestay sisters in Accra. Akosua is on the left and Carmen is on the right. Akosua is 17 years and Carmen is 20 years. They are so fun and they made my stay so fun! I stayed with them the first 2 weeks I was in Ghana :)

While I was staying in Accra, I had my hair braided. They put extensions in and everything. It was the best! It's my favorite way I've had my hair ever! The ladies in the picture with me were my hair braiding team, who are now my friends. My auntie Janet is the woman on my right and she is the owner of the shop. Mary, Vivian, and Akosua are the others who helped. It took 5 hours to do! It was worth it though. I can't wait to have it done again before I come back!

These are some memebers of my homestay family in Kumasi. I stayed with them the second 2 weeks I was in Ghana. I also lived with them for another 2 1/2 weeks in November. This picture was taken at the dance performance that myself and the other American students did for our homestay families. The lady in yellow is my Auntie Rita. On her lap is Kwadwo (1 1/2 yrs). He was scared of me for a long time. Next to my auntie is Elizabeth (11yrs) and Kobby (5yrs). To my right is my sister Obiya (20yrs) and on her lap is Sharon (7 yrs). I love them so much. They treated just like a biological family memeber. I will never forget them!

After staying in Kumasi for 2 weeks, we went and lived in a village. It was the most life changing experience I've had in Ghana. While I was there, I met five little girls who captured my heart and changed my life. They are the sweetest little things with the saddest story. Their mother is a drunk who spends all the family money on booze. Even worse, she is the bread winner because her husband is disabled. She is very neglectful of her beautiful girls, who are mostly cared for by Comfort (the girl standing behind me). Comfort is not related to them, but she has taken it upon herself to help care for this woman's four daughters. Two of them are pictured here. As I said, Comfort (10 yrs) is behind me. On my lap are Sarah (4 yrs) on the right and Rose (2 yrs) on the left. They are so cute and I will continue to love them and support them from the US.

Ok, so throughout this whole journey, I have made lots of friends. But Natalie and I have kinda done almost everything together and supported each other. She hails from Portland, Oregon, but schools at Macalester in Minnesota. She's the best and I am grateful for her. As our friend Kokroko says, "she is my favorite friend". Here we are in Cape Coast for our friend Lisa's birthday. (Yes I had my hair done again, but it didn't last as long. It was kind of a lion mane - I loved it!)

One of the things Natalie and I liked to do while we were in Cape Coast was to get up at 5AM, walk to the beach, head for these big, beautiful rocks, and watch the sun come up. It was unreal! Especially because we were doing it at the end of October and early November. Here is a picture of me from one of those mornings, soaking up the gorgeous sunrise.

Also while we were hanging around Cape Coast, our group made a trip to Krakum National Park. They are famous for their 240ft canopy walk. The walk is on rope bridges suspended in between tall trees. Here I am doing the walk, just hanging out in the canopy.

Ok those should hold you all over for a while ;) Just kidding. Anyway, enjoy the pictures and I will post again soon!

November: The Season of ISPs

I am sooo bad at blogging sometimes. I wish I had a video blog. I think I would be better at that. Plus I am a ham...

Anyway, so for the month of November I have been living in Kumasi, Ghana doing a research project on the Akan Adinkra Symbols and their use in the arts. I've loved researching this topic because the resources are readily available, yet the common knowledge about the symbols is less than presence. Most people see these symbols everyday, yet they have no idea what they mean. It's been fun to discover how art has had a large hand in preserving the symbols, but also how it could progress and change in ways that could better educate the general population about their meaning.

But enough of that boring academic stuff. Here are some highlights from my stay with the Andoh family. Just so you know, there are tons of kids, lots of noise and laughs, plus the power goes out at least once a day:

*One day, I brought home a dvd with 30 michael jackson videos on it. Upon putting it in, myself and 8 of my siblings broke into a Michael Jackson dance party that lasted 1 hour.

*There is a drink here in Ghana, distributed by Guiness, called Alvaro. It's a soda that comes in pinapple and pear flavors. PEAR IS TO DIE FOR! I love it and I have maybe one everyday. My siblings find this funny and love to tell me that "Alvaro will kill you." They also convinced Kwadwo, my 1 year old brother, that my name is Alvaro. Needless to say, that is what he calls me.

*For the past few days I have been greeted in the morning my my brothers Kobby and Kwadwo wearing shirts, socks, shoes - yet no pants. (they are 5 and 1year)

*Kobby turned 5 a few days ago. Natalie, my American friend, and I bought him a small drum. He loved it. I beat it senselessly. The head broke in 5 minutes.

*My sisters and I sat out on the porch one night and made little purses out of scrap fabric and small zippers that I bought for 10 peswas each (that's less than 1 cent). It was a lot of fun :)

*I got my sister Christy 2 dvds of American hip hop. Needless to say, there was a second dance party - but this time it was in the shop she runs and replace the Michael Jackson with Beyonce's "Single Ladies"

Basically, I have loved my time here in Kumasi. I am sad to be going to Cape Coast tomorrow because it means leaving my family. But it's ok. I miss the US too. I will be back in 2 weeks so watch out! Peace!