I greet you from March and can now confirm Fataiya’s statement about days in March being extra long. The heat just stretches time out. It’s particularly bad when the lights go out and you are without your best friend, the overhead fan. There was one day last week, in the afternoon, when I tried to take a nap on my floor with no fan power. It was a pathetic scene – I was sprawled out willy nilly, eyes closed, willing myself to lose consciousness but instead just resigning myself to the fact that sweat was running down my face and onto the floor. I gave it up pretty quickly. When lights came back on, I appreciated them extra.
Also on the topic of sweat, I had this conversation with a man named Roger. I ran into him on the afternoon of the 6th March (Ghana’s independence day) when everyone in Tongo and surrounding areas gathered in town for festivities.
Roger – Hey! Hey Kat! I’m here!
Me – Oh! Roger! I didn’t even see you.
R – I’m here. Where were you today? I didn’t see you.
M – You didn’t? You must be blind. I was even there.
R – No, I didn’t see you. You weren’t there.
M – So, I’m a liar?
R – No, no, never a liar.
M – But you just said that you didn’t believe me. Therefore you think I’m a liar.
R – No, no, not a liar. You could never be a liar.
R’s sister – It’ true! I even saw her. She was even here.
M – See?
R – No, I don’t believe her.
R’s sister – What, so now you say I’m telling lies?
R – No lies, I just don’t believe you.
M – Roger, do you know what lying is?
R/R’s sister – Laughlaughlaughlaugh
R – Laughlaughmmm…so how is it?
M – Oh, everything is fine. We are managing.
R – Ehh, we are even suffering, the heat.
M – It’s true! You see, I am sweating paaaaaaaa.
R – You are so hot, you are sweating like a pregnant fish.
M – ……Yes, it’s true. Just like that. But can fish sweat? I don’t even think so.
R/R’s sister – Laughlaughlaugh
Sweating like a pregnant fish? What does that even mean? I like it. The 6th March was fun. Everyone gets together in town and all the schools send children to march. There are people selling food and water sachets everywhere and it’s a generally nice atmosphere. Yay for independence.
More—-
- This was yesterday’s episode of World Have Your Say – it was from Takoradi, in western Ghana! Woo! But, actually, it’s a pretty depressing show. It’s about sexual harassment and the things that the Ghanaian men say are really frustrating. So if you want to get depressed over something serious, have a listen!
- We played Bingo this week in P5 and P6. They totally love it! They get all serious about it and are overjoyed when they win. Prizes have included little notebooks and balloons. They also really like coming up and being the caller. I like it because it gives my hand a rest!
- Teachers all over Ghana have been angry over issues that have come up while the government has been trying to start a new paying scheme for teachers. The government said that they were going to give all teachers a raise, and that hasn’t happened. Some people’s salaries have even been less than they usually are. There have been murmurings of striking, but I think things will get worked out before that happens. I hope so.
- Lucy has been coming around a lot lately. She calls the cat poop in my litter box “shitfeces,” which is funny everytime.
- Now I’m in Tamale, on the way to Accra, on the way home! You can imagine my excitement. I told everyone at school to expect me to be gigantic when I come back because “I will eat PLENTY FOOD in America because it is SWEET.” I’m looking forward to it.
