Guitar Lessons in Ghana

By Nick Ferguson, GapBreak Ghana 2008

Hallooo everyone wo hote sen? How are you doing? As for me, bokooo
(relaxed, life is good, stay cool) It's really feeling like i live
here and am at home around Swedru, which is special because anywhere
else you go, no matter how close, its hard to lose the visitor feeling
with the constant "obruni wohoke?' where are you going? where too?

Kate and i went to church a while ago with our host mum 'aunty' Esi,
and it was really fun - just in a small room in Achiase, with lots of
drumming and singing, prayers and passionate 'amen!'s and
"hallelujahs. The only shoes i had were the hiking boots, which looked
ridiculous i think as anyone we passed broke into laughter and
pointed. But it was fine i liked giving them something odd to be happy
about. Esi speaks virtually no english, bar 'food is ready!' and
'small time, small time,' ; she's such a big mumma, excited grin and
we all try hard to say things through charades. Usually a couple of
mornings a week (like this morning) before dawn she wonders around the
courtyard with a grass broom singing loudly, erratically and
passionately. I'd love to understand the words, but its just as good
anyway to wake up to.

The last week there have been giant rain storms in the afternoon and
night, bringing a fantastic smell and colour to everything, and
sounding veryy bokoo on the my tin roof. Allll good except some goats
tend to choose MY little shelter to spend the night in, and shit in,
for me to find in the morning.

I went with a few other obrunis to Aburi, about four hours and three
trotros away, a small village quite high up with beautiful views
accross the north and also down to accra. We did a 13 km mountain bike
track that wove down through the village, into the bush through four
metre high crops that seemed to hold in massive blasts of heat at our
level, narrow rocky trails past little house and swimming holes, and
into eerily shady and cool bamboo foresty parts. And cold pineapple
when we got back! I like to get some sugar cane for these long trips
and chew/suck through all the green, green hills and small villages.
That day we left at about 4 am, so we everywhere slowly coming alive,
preparing for another day, quietly without the noise and rush that
comes later on. The colors everywhere still always take me back; the
glary, vivid greens and earthy reds seem to change and each day its
like you're seeing them for the first time.

School is going well. It was founders day last friday, so kate and i
joined all the kids in a dancing, drumming and singing parade through
Afransi village. I lovedd it. I'll send some photos soon. Still
playing for/with a few classes a day. Often now its a trade game - i
play one, then they'll sing one of their songs. Feel pretty lucky. At
the moment i like Kate's class 6, they love 'in the jungle,' doing
wimbowehs and im teaching a little guy Joseph the lyrics. He has a
really nice, different voice. Times up

Hope all is good for you, x Love nick