Night (and Morning) of the Flamboyant Soft Rock Country Rapper

Apparently the last two weeks, the man who lives next to us (consider our house like a duplex) has been travelling. We didn't know that. Now he has returned and we are very much aware of his presence...we will never mistake it.

Part of the problem, I think, stems from the wall between us. While it is solid, and there are no doors between us, the roof is tin and apparently 10 ft up, there is a gap about 6 inches big between the roof and the wall. His activities throughout his apartment are very well known to us.

Now, its not as though we hear him having sex everynight or that he chews his bubble gum loudly...rather, we share the complex with the only man in 50 kms who has his own set of speakers with bass. I should also add that everyone in Ghana, since electricity is pricey, rises and ends the night according to the patterns of the sun. Everyone in Ghana is up and busy by 7 am, and we have to be also because not only do people wake us up at 7 for the purpose of getting our asses out of bed, but it is socially acceptable to go visiting after 6:30 am. Before that is probably frowned upon...but we have yet to put it to the test. Please keep in mind that the socially accepted norm in Canada for an impromptu visit is generally after 10 am.

So, not only do people rise early, get ready early and everyting else early....Our neighbour likes to play his music very loudly at 7:05 sharp every morning. We awake to a rap at our front door, followed by a completely independent blast of sound coming from the opposite direction. I answer the door, bleary eyed, trying to keep my sarong on and as I greet whoever happens to have been knocking, I notice our neighbour brushing his teeth to what appears to be American rap music. By the time I make it back to the room, the rap has changed to country, then soft rock and then a whole half hour of Michael Bolton.

This music is obscenely loud even if it didn't clash so profoundly with my own likes.

Eventually he goes to work and everything is quiet. It is now 8 am and we're expected to be getting on with the day by now.

Unfortunately, this is not the end of Michael Bolton. This whole process, from rap to country to soft rock to Michael Boloten occurs again, but not until we're back in the house from our bucket bath and brushing our teeth before bed.

This morning however, there was an interesting variation. It must have been his day off because he opened the day with what I could only identify as a Vin Diesel movie. I don't know which one...I'm only certain I recognised Vin Diesel's voice. Whatever it was, sounded interesting despite not being able to see the screen. Who needs a screen when you have surround sound?

In other news, I have long hair again. That's right. Miracle growth.

Conor and I bought some lengths of hair that matched our own colours and the hairdressers and hair dressing students went at us wih vigour. With at least 6 people working on us at anyone time, doing various jobs, it still took us each 4 hours. Now we have beautiful long braids (which are very heavy after having such short hair) and you know how much they wanted for it? In Canadian currency, a little over 3 dollars!!! 6 people working for 4 hours, and they wanted 3 bucks?!!!! Conor and I both decided it wasn't enough, but it gives a pretty good idea of what things cost here....and what people value....and what women's work is valued at. (For comparison sake, I understand that the equivalent hairstyle in Canada would easily cost 70 dollars...which is why I can't afford it at home).

But enough with the Marxist feminist analysis...the origin of the story was that not only do Conor and I have cool hair styles, but for a little while anyway, I have long hair too!

Finally, so that people know, we've been trying to post pictures but have discovered that we need to compress them a touch...the connections here are very slow.

Anyhow...Many Happy Meanderings!
-The Jessicat